As of early December, COVID-19 has caused more than 7,000 deaths in Arizona. Now, some experts are blaming the virus for a big spike in violent crime.
Phoenix police data shows that cases of murder and aggravated assault are higher right now than they’ve been at this point in the past five years and it’s all part of a troubling trend nationwide.
So far, police report there are 175 murder or non-negligent manslaughter cases at this point in the year. Last year Phoenix police recorded 129 total homicide cases.
